The Best Pre-Wedding Mud Masks {Makeup Mantra}

2014 Aug 30 - by Nadya

The best thing you can do for yourself the day before the wedding is an indulgent spa day. Chances are, though, after all the planning and with all the nerves currently coursing through your body, you're not exactly in the mood to hightail it to the nearest (expensive) spa. Also, you have to be on hand in case your caterer calls up crying about how they burned everything. Therefore, the only solution is a staycation complete with home pedicures and mud masks.

I'm going to trust you know how to take care of your feet, but if you're stuck on the mud mask bit I totally have you covered. I've put together a small list of my favorite vegan and cruelty-free mud masks - both ones that you can buy and make. Enjoy!

Warning: mud masks, like all creams, can be a little messy. Unlike all creams, though, they can stain so be sure to indulge far away from your wedding dress and any important documents.

1. Stimul8 Mud from Gr8ful Couture ~ $70/1.5 oz.

You read Shriya and my review of this wonderful project back when we were reviewing Petit Vour's Luxury Limited Spring Box and I'm going to talk about it some more. This mask was literally the tingliest, deepest cleaning, and most luxurious thing I've ever put on my face. It gets to work instantly scooping out all the gross stuff from your skin and energizing everything it touches.

The scent is strong and earthy with no artificial fragrances, making it feel somehow realer. As soon as you put it on, you can feel it renewing your skin. And once you take it off you'll feel so awake, clean, and fresh. I seriously felt like my skin was shining and my pores were so much smaller. (I sorta wish I could put it all over my body).

The price might seem a bit daunting but the mixture is paraben free and includes all sorts of wonderful things like Moroccon Lava Clay and Tulsi oil, it's like applying earth-grown gold to your face. Also, one package is good for five or more uses. It's exactly like a spa treatment, only from within the comfort of your own bathroom.

2. YouthMud TingleExfoliate Treatment from GlamGlow ~ $69/1.7 oz

It's hard not to instantly compare YouthMud to Stimul8 since they both tend to sit on the same shelf at Sephora as luxury, spa treatment mud masks and are around the same price. I would say Stimul8 is definitely the better of the two, though it contains less and is a tiny bit more expensive, as it leaves your skin feeling fresher. That being said, YouthMud had similar effects - after taking it off, my pores are smaller and tighter and my face feels refreshed. It also contains a variety of volcanic materials, exotic clay, and floral oils.

GlamGlow, as a primarily mask and face treatment company, has a whole range of different masks and they also sell a convenient little sample set of all their different flavors. Definitely a company worth trying if Stimul8 is sold out.

3. Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask from The Body Shop ~$22/4.5 oz.

The lightest mask on this list, the ionic clay mask is the perfect blend of skin-tightening, sweet-smelling, organic goodness. A little goes a long way with this mask, so you really get your money's worth. Body Shop is always on the up and up with stuff like this and this particular product is so popular I had to call ahead to a handful of stores before finding one that had a measly two pots left.

But this mask was totally worth the run-around! I find the scent of this mask especially calming and refreshing, leaving me feeling even cleaner afterward. The tight-pore effect is short-lived but I think this is definitely a blend you'll want to try if you need a quick pick-me-up.

4. Cupcake from Lush ~ $6.95/2.1 oz.

I'm not sure if you guys know this about me, but I adore LUSH. With everything being cruelty-free and all the vegan items very obviously labeled - it's my candy store. It's fitting that their gorgeous mud mask, Cupcake, is chocolate flavored. It literally feels like chocolate mousse when you scoop it out of the pot. It's thick, creamy, and so so so decadent. Just putting it on felt indulgent. Cupcake gives off a thick chocolate smell with an underlying, subtle layer of peppermint.

Cupcake is not as strong or harsh as some of the more expensive products on this list (*cough* GlamGlow *cough*), but it left my skin feeling brighter, softer, and so much cleaner.

I highly recommend Cupcake (alongside Angels on Bare Skin and Full of Grace) for a spa party - one use barley broke into the pot and it only lasts for 28 days refrigerated. Use it for a grown up hen-night-cum-sleepover and pair it with Dirty Dancing, cheesy popcorn, and home pedicures.

5. Homemade Mud Pies

If you don't have time or aren't in the mood to go buy the above items, mud masks are incredibly easy to make in your kitchen! As long as you have some moisturizing oil (coconut, almond, etc.), some clay-based products (like neem or even kitty litter), and water you just have to mix and apply.

My roomie also put me on to this wonderful coffee grounds-based mud scrub. The grounds help exfoliate your skin while the coconut oil moisturizes. It's so good and you can use it all over, not just your face!

You'll need:

1/4 cup raw sugar

1/4 cup ground coffee

t1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 tbsp sea salt

Then you just have to mix (and maybe grind a bit) and apply. Use it in the shower just like you would any other body scrub. I suggest using it a few times a week but not every day.